My goodness, 2013 is coming to a close! I think it usually comes as a shock to most of us, especially me this year. Here are a few highlights from they year that stick out the most to me, and ones I certainly don't want to forget! [hint: if you click on the picture, a caption comes up and I tell you why that picture is special!}
Happy New Year, everyone! May your 2014 be as beautiful as ever!
At the Kabat household, the primary ingredient for Christmas is fudge. Yesterday, mom taught me how to make it myself. Lemme tell ya, it's a labor of love, and my arms were sore when it was over, but darn does it taste good!
not a lot of ingredients, lots and lots of concentration
this is the point where i thought my arms might actually fall right off
get it in the pan while its hot, or the whole thing will be a waste. talk about pressure.
we finished that batch up, and cleaned up our mess. and then it was my turn. uh oh.
aaaannnd,
voilà!
there ya have it, friends. Christmas fudge. it really is the best thing you could ever eat.
My desk, in the Cozy Cottage, hanging with mr. murdoch, and his very true words, alone, but not lonely.
Tomorrow is time to go. It's time to say goodbye to home for awhile, and go home. First, how lovely is it that I can call two places my home? And second, how lovely that the next few weeks will (hopefully) be spend restfully, and reflectively. I am making a promise to myself, that I will use this time intentionally. That I won't let that time go to waste, a chunk of time that couldn't have been given to me at a more perfect moment. And I'm thankful for a lot of things. I'm thankful for the past months I have spent here, the memories and the struggles and the learned things. But I'm also thankful to be able to just breathe for a little while, which is something I haven't allowed myself to do in quite a while. I think what I've been learning is how, throughout the things that have been hard for me, and I have let people and God down, he remains faithful. It hit me today, when Paul speaks truth to the Romans, saying that our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God. Woah. And it's true, isn't it? When I am faithless, he remains faithful. This isn't some backwards way of justifying doing wrong- merely a beautiful picture of the ways that, throughout all things, God is greater. He's greater than our hearts, than our mistakes, than our triumphs, than our selfishness, than our heartache- he's greater than it all. And I think when we realize this, when we recognize that we can't do it on our own, I think that's when we experience real freedom. And I think that's really beautiful.
I almost forgot to put up these pictures! The other weekend me and two of my good friends went to see the Rotary Lights in La Crosse, WI. If you have never been to the Rotary Lights, it is safe to say that you are missing out, extremely. Over 2 million lights are strung throughout Riverside Park from now until January 1st. So please, put seeing the lights on your holiday bucket list... I promise you won't be let down!
candy canes in mason jars warm socks learning adam's real name charlie brown christmas laughter with holly talking about adventure with brianna a clean room yui's too-small salvation army scarf elsa&sarah finding humor in how unbelievably cold it is outside the singing voices of my friends almonds (yum.) knowing coral's reaction before it happens late night cuddle time austin and his humor sharing sweet memories isaac. that guy. 1 John 3:1 a letter from germany. wow.
Or in my definition, to read again. To be reminded. To emphasize, and declare importance. That's what I think of repetition. I see it every single day, in various ways. To me, it's one hundred percent intentional. It's there to be noticed. To me, it's Jesus saying, "Hey, this is important, listen up."
One of my greatest joys in this life is the way that He uses others around me to remind me of his faithfulness. Like music that proclaims his truth, shared between friends, or a text in the morning that points me to love that is absolutely indescribable. One that makes me tingle from the top of my head to my toes, filled with the knowledge that I am known by the creator of the universe. There is repetition within these things.
There is a reason, in gospel carols, that is is written, "glory, glory, glory." Because he is really glorious. There is a reason that just as I am about to start reading a challenging but beautiful book of the bible, I am told we are going to be studying it soon. Because it is important to him that I listen to all of his words, not just the ones I want. There is a reason that one of my best friends points me to a passage I have been reading for a few days, about the love that the Father has for us. Because he loves his children, a lot.